Family - Changing Family Patterns

Question 1

Changing family patterns

Answer 1

• Number of traditional nuclear families have fallen
• Divorce rates have increased
• More couples cohabiting
• More lone-parent families

Question 2

Divorce - Reasons for increase in divorce: Changes in the law

Answer 2

Changes in the law - Divorce difficult in 19th century -> gradually changes made divorce easier through 3 types of changes:
-Equalising grounds (between sexes), - Widening grounds for divorce
-Making divorce cheaper
Although changes have increased divorce rates -> doesn’t explain why

Question 3

Divorce: Reasons for increase in divorce: Declining stigma and changing attitudes

Answer 3

In past, divorces tended to be stigmatised (negative label) due to churches often condemning divorces -> as stigma declines -> divorce becomes more socially acceptable -> was seen as shameful -> now seen as a misfortune

Question 4

Divorce:Reasons for increase in divorce: Secularisation

Answer 4

Refers to the decline in influence of religion in society -> church attendance is falling -> opinions on divorces from religion carry less value.
-churches have softened views on divorces due to fear of losing more credibility.

Question 5

Marriage

Answer 5

Number of changes including

• Fewer people marrying: marriage rates at lowest since 1920’s
• More re-marriages (2012 1/3 of all marriages were remarriages -> serial monogamy
• People marrying later (Average age of first marriage rose by seven years between 1971 and 2012).

Question 6

Marriage: Reasons for changing patterns of marriage

-changing attitudes to marriage

Answer 6

• Less pressure to marry and more freedom for individuals to choose type of relationship they want.
• Now larger belief that quality of relationship more important than status
• Norm that everyone should get married has weakened

Question 7

Marriage: Secularisation

Answer 7

-Churches are in favour of marriage -> as influence declines -> people feel more free to choose not to marry (only 3% of young people with no religion were married AGAINST 17% with religion)

Question 8

Marriage: Declining stigma attached to alternatives to marriage

Answer 8

Cohabitation, remaining single and having children outside of marriage all alternatives to marriage -> gain acceptance-> pregnancy no longer leads to forced marriage.
-1989, 70% believed couples intending for children SHOULD marry, 2012, 42% thought so.

Question 9

Cohabitation

Answer 9

Involves unmarried couple in a sexual relationship
-1 in 8 adults are now cohabiting (double the number in 1996)
* increasing cohabitation result of decline in stigma attached to sex outside marriage -> 1989, 44% agreed ‘premarital sex is NOT wrong’
—> 2012,65% agreed.

*Cohabitation is part of the step towards getting married.
Chester(S) 2006, 75% of cohabiting couples expect to marry eachother.
*Cohabitation better attempt at equal relationship than patriarchal marriage
=Cohabitation does not have a shared meaning.